BB FANS

CULKIN'S SECOND THOUGHTS
Culkin may not testify

Actor Macaulay Culkin may not give evidence in the Michael Jackson child abuse trial.

The former child star is reportedly thinking of withdrawing his offer to testify on behalf of the singer.

Mr Culkin is thought to have been unnerved by some of the ferocious cross-examination of witnesses in the trial and his advisers are telling him to steer clear of the hearing.

The 24-year-old appeared on Jackson's Black or White music video in 1991. He has stayed at Jackson's Neverland ranch and publicly backed him.

He was due to be the first of a series of big-name celebrities giving evidence for the singer - others including actress Elizabeth Taylor and singers Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross.

Jackson's defence began its case last Thursday after around two months of prosecution evidence.

The singer's chief counsel, Thomas Mesereau, will first deal with allegations made against the star dating back to the 1990s.

He will then turn to the charges facing Jackson in the case, child abuse, giving a child alcohol and holding a family against their will. He denies them all.

Analysts expect Mr Mesereau to convey to the court in Santa Maria, California, that Jackson is essentially still like a child himself and simply likes the company of other young people.
Dky

10th May 2005

Jackson employees defend singer

Mr Jackson's lawyers began their first full week of their case
Staff at Michael Jackson's ranch have testified in defence of the singer at his child molestation trial.

They said they had never seen the star behave inappropriately with young boys at the Neverland Ranch.

Witnesses also said a family that had accused Michael Jackson of holding them captive had showed no signs of being at the ranch against their will.

Mr Jackson denies 10 charges, including molesting a boy, giving him alcohol and conspiring to hold him and his family.

If convicted, Mr Jackson, 46, could face 20 years in jail.

'Parade' of witnesses

On Monday the defence team began the first full week of its case in the court in Santa Maria, California, by calling several witnesses to undermine the testimony of earlier prosecution witnesses.

Francin Contreras, who worked at Neverland as a maid in 1991-93, testified that while working with another former maid Adrian McManus she never heard the woman say anything bad about the singer.


Some of the activity (at Mr Jackson's Neverland ranch) was beyond my comfort level
Violet Silva
Neverland's employee

Ms McManus was a prosecution witness who claimed she saw the singer indecently touch child actor Macaulay Culkin.

Ms Contreras described Ms McManus as a liar and a thief, who had stolen items from Mr Jackson.

Also on Monday a former head of housekeeping at the ranch, Gayle Goforth, told jurors that Janet Arvizo, the mother of Mr Jackson's accuser Gavin Arvizo, had once asked her for a job because she was desperate for money.

"I told her that the rents were very expensive in the area," Ms Goforth said . "But she said: 'I'll come and I'll sleep in the car if I need to."'


KEY PROSECUTION WITNESSES
Gavin Arvizo, accuser - testified that he was twice molested
Star Arvizo, accuser's brother - said he had twice seen Mr Jackson abuse Gavin as he slept
Janet Arvizo, accuser's mother - said she and her sons had been held captive at Neverland
Debbie Rowe, Mr Jackson's ex-wife - described Mr Jackson as generous and kind, and manipulated by his aides

Another witness, Violet Silva, said she had never seen Mr Jackson behaving inappropriately towards children.

Ms Silva - a former security chief at Neverland and a current safety co-ordinator there - also said Gavin and his older brother Star were "pretty destructive" when they stayed at the ranch in 2003.

She said the brothers ran wild, driving around the estate in golf carts without permission and dropping litter.

Ms Silva also said the boys - along with their sister and mother - were never prevented from leaving the ranch.

Ranch manager Joe Marcus agreed, saying the family members "were excited to be there" and anxious to get back when he took them out going out shopping.

Mr Jackson's lawyers began their defence last Thursday by calling Wade Robson, 22, and Brett Barnes, 23, as witnesses.

Both rejected claims by the prosecution that they had been sexually molested by Mr Jackson.

The prosecution says Mr Jackson molested Gavin Arvizo on more than one occasion.

It also said there was a plot to kidnap the boy's family, in an attempt to force them to speak in his defence following a critical TV documentary aired in 2003
BBC

Jackson porn in the post


MICHAEL Jackson posted porn magazines home to himself from Japan, jurors at his trial heard yesterday.

Violet Silva, former security chief at the star’s Neverland ranch, said they were “graphic”.

She also admitted not feeling comfortable allowing her own children to spend regular time at Jackson’s ranch because certain kids were “running wild”.

Silva said: “Some of the activities were beyond my comfort level.”

Earlier, Silva admitted several children spent time at the ranch without their parents.

Actor Macaulay Culkin, now 24, is said to be having second thoughts about defending Jackson in his trial.

He is due to say he did spend nights in the singer’s bed but was never molested.

But Culkin is thought to have been worried by the ferocious cross-examination of witnesses.

Jackson denies charges including child abuse in Santa Maria, California.
sUN

Jackson witness admits 'bed lie'

Mr Jackson's spokeswoman said the star was ready to testify
A defence witness in Michael Jackson's child molestation trial has admitted he lied to police about never seeing children sleep in the star's bedroom.

Joseph Marcus, the property manager at Mr Jackson's Neverland ranch, told the court that he had seen children sharing the singer's bed on a regular basis.

He was the latest among several ranch staff called by the defence to testify.

Mr Jackson denies 10 charges, including molesting a boy, giving him alcohol and conspiring to hold him and his family.

If convicted, Mr Jackson, 46, could face 20 years in jail.

Testifying for a second day on Tuesday, Mr Marcus told the court in Santa Maria, California, that he had known the singer for 18 years.

He reaffirmed that he had never seen anything inappropriate happen at Neverland in California.

But under cross-examination by the prosecution, Mr Marcus admitted lying in a police interview about not seeing children sleeping in the singer's bed.

Mr Marcus was questioned by detectives shortly after Mr Jackson's arrest in November 2003.


The prosecution on Tuesday also challenged Mr Marcus' assertion that the singer had special bonds with some girls as well as boys.

When pressed to give names, Mr Marcus - after some hesitation - managed to recall two girls.

He also said actresses Elizabeth Taylor and Liza Minnelli seemed "to be good friends" with Mr Jackson.

On Monday, Mr Marcus and others past and present employees of the pop star testified in his defence.

They said Mr Jackson had not abused boys at Neverland.

Both Mr Marcus and the safety co-ordinator also denied prosecution allegations that the singer's accuser, Gavin Arvizo, and his family had been held at the ranch against their will.

Prosecutors say there was a plot to force them to speak in his defence following a critical TV documentary aired in 2003.
BBC

Jackson abuse rejected by Culkin
Actor McCauley Culkin arrives at the court in Santa Maria, California, 11 May 2005
The Home Alone star was a regular visitor to Mr Jackson's ranch
Actor Macaulay Culkin has denied claims Michael Jackson molested him, as he took the stand at the star's trial.

The former child star, now 24, told the court that while he had shared a bed with Mr Jackson, allegations of sexual abuse were "absolutely ridiculous".

He added prosecutors had never asked him whether the claims were true, saying he had first heard them on TV.

Mr Jackson is on trial over allegations he molested a 13-year-old boy. He denies all 10 charges against him.

The charges include giving his teenage accuser alcohol and conspiring to hold him and his family captive. If convicted, the 46-year-old faces 20 years in jail.

The defence is trying to refute claims of a pattern of abuse by Mr Jackson.


It was amazing to me that nobody even approached me and asked if these allegations were true
Macaulay Culkin
Mr Culkin, who shot to fame as a child with the film Home Alone, acknowledged under cross-examination that he often slept in Mr Jackson's bed during visits to the pop star's Neverland ranch in the early 1990s, when he was aged between nine and 14.

He said the sleepovers were not planned but that he would just fall asleep.

Asked by Mr Jackson's lawyer Thomas Mesereau if he had ever been molested by the singer, Mr Culkin said: "Never."

He rejected a suggestion by prosecutor Ron Zonen that Mr Jackson may have molested him while he slept.

"I find that unlikely," Mr Culkin said. "I think I'd realise if something like that would happen."

Prosecution witnesses have testified that Mr Jackson inappropriately touched Mr Culkin. Last month, a former chef at Neverland told the court that in 1991 he once saw Mr Jackson with his hand inside the young actor's shorts.

'Amazing allegations'

Taking the stand for 45 minutes, Mr Culkin told the court in Santa Maria, California, that prosecutors had never approached him about whether he had been molested by Mr Jackson.

Michael Jackson arrives at court in Santa Maria, 11 May 2005
Mr Jackson's lawyers say he has an innocent love of children
He said he only learned of the claims by watching TV reports about the trial.

"Somebody told me you should probably check out CNN because they're saying something about you," Mr Culkin said.

"I just couldn't believe it. It was amazing to me that nobody even approached me and asked if these allegations were true."

Mr Culkin told the court he felt a special bond with Mr Jackson has they were both child stars.

"We're part of a unique group of people," he said. "He'd been through that before, so he understood what it was like to be put in that position that I was in, to be thrust into it."

Mr Culkin is the third young man to appear for the defence to deny claims of abuse.

The defence lawyers are expected at a later stage to call upon other celebrity friends of Mr Jackson, including actress Elizabeth Taylor, singers Diana Ross and Stevie Wonder, and basketball star Kobe Bryant. BBC

13th May 2005


Jackson managers 'stole million'

Jackson's ex-lawyer said everyone was trying to benefit from him
A former lawyer for Michael Jackson has told the singer's child abuse trial that he believes two aides diverted $965,000 (£516,000) from his accounts.

David LeGrand said he became suspicious of the two men's motives and hired a private detective to investigate them.

Mr Jackson is charged with abusing a 13-year-old boy and conspiring to keep him and his family captive. He denies all 10 charges against him.

The aides have been described by the prosecution as his co-conspirators.

Mr LeGrand's testimony for the defence appeared to support that of Debbie Rowe, Mr Jackson's ex-wife, who said he had been surrounded by "opportunistic vultures".

Earlier, the jury was shown out-takes from the documentary by British journalist Martin Bashir which triggered the police investigation into Mr Jackson.

The footage showed the star as more vulnerable and compassionate, and included Mr Bashir himself describing Mr Jackson's relationship to his children as "spectacular".

'Suspicious of everybody'

Mr LeGrand said he had been hired by Mr Jackson to sort out confusion over his business interests.

"I became suspicious of everybody," he said. "Everybody wanted to benefit from Mr Jackson one way or another."

He added that the two aides were determined to manage all of the singer's affairs.

"I became concerned that they were in a position to divert funds," he said.

The lawyer also said Mr Jackson had been hoodwinked over the making of Mr Bashir's documentary, signing "terrible contracts" prior to filming which gave Mr Bashir and UK Granada TV full rights to the footage.

'Verge of bankruptcy'

He was misled into believing he would have some measure of control over what footage was used in the final cut, Mr LeGrand said.

But an attempt by the defence to refute allegations that the singer was heavily in debt at the time of the documentary failed, with Mr LeGrand saying that Mr Jackson was "highly illiquid" and would be "on the verge of bankruptcy" if he did not act immediately.
BBC

13th May 2005
Former Jackson lawyer to testify

SANTA MARIA, California (CNN) -- The judge in the Michael Jackson trial Thursday ordered celebrity lawyer Mark Geragos to testify Friday as subpoenaed by his former client's defense team.

Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville flatly rejected a request to delay the lawyer's appearance because of a scheduling conflict.

Geragos represented Jackson after his arrest on child molestation charges in November 2003. He left the case at Jackson's request five months later and was replaced by Thomas Mesereau Jr.

At the time, Geragos also was representing Scott Peterson, accused of murdering his wife and unborn son, and Jackson said he needed the lawyer's undivided attention.

"My life is at stake," Jackson said at the time. Peterson was later convicted and sentenced to death.

Melville said Geragos should be treated "no different" from any other citizen with a busy schedule and said that a failure to show up would result in a warrant for his arrest.

"It's a subpoena. He has to obey," Melville said.CNN

14 May, 2005

Mr Geragos said he was trying to prevent a crime against his client
Michael Jackson's former lawyer has told his child abuse trial that he had "grave concerns" about the intentions of the singer's accuser, Gavin Arvizo.

Mark Geragos, who was employed by the star in 2003, told the court how he hired a private detective to follow the boy and his family.

Mr Geragos said he thought they would try to concoct a story about Mr Jackson for financial gain.

Mr Jackson denies abuse and conspiring to kidnap the boy and his family.

The BBC's Daniella Relph, at the trial in Santa Maria, California, says Mr Geragos has made his name representing high-profile clients and is a lawyer who appears to enjoy the spotlight.

He told jurors he felt it had been his job to protect Mr Jackson.


I didn't see anyone doing anything nefarious or criminal - I saw someone who was ripe as a target
Mark Geragos

Mr Geragos explained that the Arvizo family had concerned him, and that he had warned his client to stay away from them.

"I was trying to prevent a crime against my client," he said. "I thought they were going to try to shake him down."

Questioned by the prosecution, Mr Geragos told the court that he believed his former client had an innocent child-like love for young people that was never inappropriate. He said that Mr Jackson had told him that if anyone spent the night in his room, it was "unconditional love".

"I didn't see anyone doing anything nefarious or criminal," he said. "I saw someone who was ripe as a target."

Mr Geragos said that after investigating the Arvizo family for five or six weeks, he came to the conclusion that Mr Jackson should break off all ties with the family.

He said he thought they would try to concoct a story about the star for financial gain.

Waiver confusion

There were angry exchanges in the court as prosecutor Ron Zonen tried to cut short the witness's answers, drawing protests from defence lawyer Thomas Mesereau.

The row prompted Judge Rodney Melville to call a break in proceedings.

He also admonished Mr Mesereau for failing to mention that Mr Jackson had not agreed to let Mr Geragos give evidence on events after the singer's arrest in November 2003.

Under Californian law, lawyers are not allowed to discuss private conversations with clients unless the client waives privilege.

The court had been under the impression that Mr Jackson had given a full waiver.

On Thursday another of Mr Jackson's former lawyers, Robert LeGrand, said he suspected two aides, Ronald Konitzer and Dieter Wiesner, had diverted almost $1m from his accounts.

He also said Mr Jackson had been hoodwinked over the making of British TV journalist Martin Bashir's documentary, signing "terrible contracts" prior to filming which gave Mr Bashir and Granada TV full rights to the footage.

The documentary triggered the police investigation into Mr Jackson. BBC

Lawyer: Jackson's sleepovers with boys innocent


SANTA MARIA, California (Reuters) - Michael Jackson's former attorney on Friday defended the pop star's practice of sharing a bed with young boys as "an act of unconditional love."

and I love young blonde ladies alot and like to sleep with them, all totaly inocent of course

The more i hear him not deny he likes to sleep with young boys the more i think he is guilty as sin...What kind of grown man would call up a 10 year old and ask them to come over and stay likle he did with Mcally Cullkin.

when i was at school we had a music teacher who liked to play music to young boys in class and tell them to close their eyes just for the chance one would fall asleep and he could gentle wake them he was well known for it there are all sorts of weird people out there

Jackson defence calls orthodontist to stand


An orthodontist testified today in Michael Jackson’s child molestation trial that she saw no sign that his accuser’s family was being held captive when they came to her office on a visit that the mother claims was an attempt to escape from the pop star.

Dr Jean Lorraine Seamount was called by Jackson’s lawyers to counter the mother’s testimony that she invented the need for her children to get dental attention as a means to get away from Jackson’s Neverland ranch.

Prosecutors contend Jackson conspired with associates to hold the family captive in order to get them to make video rebutting a February 6, 2003, documentary in which the alleged molestation victim appeared with Jackson, who said he let children sleep in his bed in a non-sexual, innocent practice.

Jackson, 46, is accused of molesting a 13-year-old cancer patient in February or March 2003 and plying him with wine.

The accuser and his brother, sister and mother visited Seamount on February 24, 2003.

Seamount testified that the mother asked her to remove her children’s braces so she could mail them back to their old orthodontist. Seamount said she advised the mother to not have the braces removed but the mother insisted because she was upset with the previous orthodontist.

“She claimed that once the orthodontist found out who she was he wanted more money,” Seamount testified.

Seamount did not testify about any attempt by the mother to indicate she needed help or wanted to escape.

Defence lawyers presented a picture of Seamount’s office showing several dental chairs alongside one another in an open setting.

She testified that boy who is now Jackson’s accuser behaved poorly and went through drawers, forcing her to throw away several sterilised items.

Seamount also testified there was no film crew present, as the mother testified, no sign the family was held against their will, and no sign that they were in fear.

On cross-examination, Senior Deputy District Attorney Ron Zonen asked why the children had been designated “VIP patients”.

Seamount said that if patients had special needs they were designated VIPs, which might grant them special privileges in terms of scheduling.

She said Neverland ranch manager Joe Marcus had told someone in her office that the children were high profile and may be recognisable.

Defence lawyers are awaiting a ruling from the judge on a request to call a Jackson employee to testify that the accuser’s sister said her mother and the mother’s boyfriend were planning “something big” involving Jackson.

Prosecutors say the statements are hearsay and should not be admitted.

Jackson denies all charges against him and the trial continues.breakingnews

17 May, 2005

Jackson accuser 'denied abuses'
Irene Peters says the teenager defended Michael Jackson
A social worker who spoke to Michael Jackson's accuser and his family in early 2003 said he told her the star had never abused him sexually.

Irene Peters, who works for the Los Angeles child welfare department, says Gavin Arvizo had even denied he had ever slept in the same bed as the star.

The boy's mother had told her and other social workers that Mr Jackson was like "a father to her children", she added.

Mr Jackson denies abusing the child and holding his family against their will.

Ms Peters said she met Gavin's mother Janet and her children on 20 February 2003, a few weeks after a documentary in which Mr Jackson had spoken of his relationship with the boy, a cancer survivor, was aired in the US.

"I asked him (Gavin) if he had ever been sexually abused by Michael Jackson and he became upset," she told the court on Tuesday.

"He said, 'Everybody thinks Michael Jackson sexually abused me. He never touched me," the woman said.

'Like a father'

It was the documentary by British journalist Martin Bashir which drew attention to the relationship between the star and the boy.

In it, Mr Jackson and the then 13-year-old boy were seen holding hands, and the singer said he would sometimes sleep in the same bed as his child visitors.

Mr Jackson now stands accused of molesting the boy between 20 February and 12 March of that year, as well as of plying him with alcohol and conspiring to hold his family captive to keep them away from reporters.

But Ms Peters told jurors the boy's mother had praised Mr Jackson and even showed the social workers a video in which the singer could be seen taking her son for a walk and looking at swans.

"She said Michael had been like a father to her children," Peters told the court.

However, Ms Arvizo had mentioned the fact that Mr Jackson wanted to send her to Brazil and that she did not want to go there, Ms Peters said.

On Monday, several witnesses told the jury that Ms Arvizo did not try to call for help while she and her family were allegedly being held captive at the star's ranch.

An orthodontist and a bodywaxer said she visited their practices during that period but failed to alert them to her plight. BBC

18th May 2005

Michael Jackson's 12-year-old cousin testified on Wednesday that he saw the boy who has accused the singer of molestation ********** with his younger brother as they watched naked women on television.

Rio Jackson, who was 10 at the time he visited Jackson's Neverland Valley Ranch in February and March of 2003, said one night he stayed in the same guest unit as the then 13-year-old accuser and his 11-year-old brother.

"I saw them go to the TV, turn to a channel that had naked girls, and they did nasty stuff," Rio Jackson told the jury. Asked by lead defense attorney Tom Mesereau what he meant by "nasty stuff," the boy replied that he saw the pair **********.

"They said why didn't I do that, and I said I didn't want to because it was nasty," he added.

Rio Jackson, wearing a long pony tail almost to his waist and dressed in a gray suit and pink tie, said during his visit to Neverland he saw the accuser and his brother steal money from a chef and with items from a ranch manager's office.

He also said he saw the boys take wine by themselves to the sleeping-area in Jackson's bedroom. Rio's elder sister, Simone Jackson, in testimony on Tuesday, said she saw the boys steal wine from a refrigerator.

In earlier testimony, the accuser said Jackson introduced him to wine and pornography. He and his brother denied drinking when he was not around.

Prosecutors have charged Jackson, 46, with furnishing his accuser, a recovering cancer patient, with alcohol in order to abuse the boy.

Jackson is also charged with four counts of molesting the boy in early 2003, and conspiring to commit child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion. He faces more than 20 years in prison if convicted on all 10 counts.

Jackson's defense team is attempting to diffuse prosecution testimony from the accuser and his family by painting the mother as a grifter out to get money from the entertainer and the boys as youngsters who drank, stole and ran wild while they were at Neverland.

Wednesday's testimony from Rio Jackson was the first time the jury had heard of the accuser and his brother **********.

But under cross examination by prosecuting attorneys, Rio Jackson admitted that on the occasion of the alleged wine stealing he ended up going to bed with Jackson.

It was the singer's practice of sleeping with young boys, which he admitted in a now infamous documentary aired in Britain and the United States, that led to him being charged with child molestation.

Jackson appeared in the video holding hands with his accuser and talking about how he liked to sleep with young boys, although he insisted that the practice was innocent.

The younger Jackson also conceded that he did not know if the accuser and his brother meant to steal or simply borrow some plastic crystals and a deck of cards that he saw them take from the ranch manager's office.

He also conceded that he did not see the brothers stealing wine directly from Jackson's two-storey bedroom. He said he and the brothers and Jackson were in the bedroom when Jackson ordered in some wine.

Jackson was the in the bathroom when the wine arrived and the brothers took it to the sleeping section of the bedroom and then left. Some of the wine of the wine was missing from the bottle, the boy said, suggesting the boys had stolen a drink.

It was after that that Jackson and his young cousin went to bed together, he said. reuters

Jackson judge shuns King evidence

CNN's Larry King was due to testify in Michael Jackson's favour
CNN talk show host Larry King, who was due to testify at the abuse trial of pop singer Michael Jackson, has been turned away by the judge.

Judge Rodney Melville ruled his testimony was not relevant.

Mr King had been expected to say that a lawyer who represented the family of Michael Jackson's accuser had expressed doubts about their credibility.

Mr Jackson is on trial over allegations he molested 13-year-old Gavin Arvizo. He denies all 10 charges against him.

Judge Melville made the ruling after listening to Mr King's account of a conversation with lawyer Larry Feldman, the Associated Press news agency reports.

Without the jury present, Mr King said the attorney told him the accuser's mother was out for money.

Mr King said he spoke to Mr Feldman before the trial began to try to convince him to appear on his show Larry King Live.

He said Mr Feldman told him he did not take Janet Arvizo's case because he did not find her credible.

"He just said she is a whacko. He said she is in it for the money," he told the court about his conversation with the lawyer.

Mr Feldman testified earlier for the prosecution and denied saying such things about his clients, AP reports.

Larry King has regularly examined the Jackson abuse case on his CNN talk show.

Porn allegations

On Wednesday, Mr Jackson's 12-year-old cousin said he saw Gavin Arvizo watch pornography and touch himself at the pop star's ranch.

Rijo Jackson said he was staying at his famous cousin's ranch when he saw the incident.

Correspondents said his testimony was an attempt to show that Gavin Arvizo was already sexually aware.

BBC

20th May 2005


The mother of the boy who accuses Michael Jackson of molesting him called the singer an "angel", a witness has told his trial in California.

Casting assistant Azja Pryor said Janet Arvizo was keen to take part in a video to promote Mr Jackson after Martin Bashir's damaging documentary on him.

"She was very anxious to tell the world this beautiful friendship was nothing more than they saw," Ms Pryor said.

Mr Jackson denies charges of child abuse and conspiracy to kidnap.

Asked how Mrs Arvizo - whose son Gavin is at the centre of the case - spoke of Mr Jackson, Ms Pryor said: "It was something to the effect of what a great man he is. He is an angel. His love is great."

Ms Pryor - who met Gavin, then 13, when he had cancer - also said Mrs Arvizo had been looking forward to a proposed trip to Brazil, and had complained that her family was being kept away from the singer by two German associates of Mr Jackson.



Ms Pryor's testimony contrasts with prosecution claims that Mr Jackson's aides were plotting to whisk the family to Brazil following Martin Bashir's documentary, in which the singer admitted to sharing his bed with children.

When Mrs Arvizo testified in the trial, she spoke out against "the Germans", and said they were conspiring with Mr Jackson to hold the family captive.

Ms Pryor broke down and cried when she talked about the Arvizo family, describing how she met them at a Hollywood comedy club.

Larry King
Larry King was turned away by the judge
She and her boyfriend, actor Chris Tucker, took the children on outings and Ms Pryor said that while Ms Arvizo would talk to her for hours by telephone, she never complained to her about Mr Jackson.

But she smiled as she told Mr Jackson's attorney, Thomas Mesereau, that Mrs Arvizo never told her she had tried to escape from Neverland.

"It's Neverland. I don't know who would ever want to escape Neverland," she said.


Judge Rodney Melville allowed the defence to show the jury a video tour of Mr Jackson's Neverland ranch.

Beside the ranch's park rides and animals, the video showed numerous clocks, contradicting prosecution claims that the Arvizo family were not able to keep track of time while Mr Jackson allegedly held them against their will.

District attorney Tom Sneddon opposed the video's screening, calling much of it "propaganda".

One scene showed a note written on a blackboard by one of Mr Jackson's children, reading: "I love you daddy."

CNN talk show host Larry King, who was due to testify at the abuse trial of pop singer Michael Jackson, was turned away by the judge earlier on Thursday.

Judge Rodney Melville ruled his testimony was not relevant.

Mr King had been expected to say that a lawyer who represented the family of Michael Jackson's accuser had expressed doubts about their credibility. BBC

20th May 2005


Jackson lawyer 'ordered watch on accuser's family'


Michael Jackson’s former lawyer ordered a private investigator to keep tabs on the family of his young accuser as he feared they might sell their story to a tabloid, it emerged today.

Mark Geragos told the singer’s child sex abuse trial he was also concerned the family may have gone to a lawyer to try and sue the singer.

“I told (investigator Bradley Miller) to find who they’re meeting with and what they’re doing,” he said.

“My concern was that there was going to be some kind of accusation made, there was going to be some false story concocted.”

Mr Geragos, who was employed by the pop star in February 2003, returned to Santa Maria court, California, amid tensions over the terms under which he could testify.

Jackson had waived his attorney-client privilege for the period up until his arrest in November 2003 but that limit was not disclosed in court until Mr Geragos mentioned it while testifying last week.

Judge Rodney Melville, clearly frustrated, allowed the lawyer to continue his evidence today but warned that he may impose sanctions on Jackson’s current lawyer, Tom Mesereau, for not revealing the terms of the waiver sooner.


“I feel deceived by Mr Mesereau and I am considering sanctions of some sort against Mr Mesereau,” he said.

The judge said he could have stricken Mr Geragos’ testimony from the record but did not think that was viable as jurors had already heard it and were likely to remember it during deliberations.

Under cross-examination, the prosecution tried to link Mr Geragos to the alleged conspiracy to hold the boy and his family captive.

But the lawyer denied all knowledge of the evidence put to him, including the suggestion that he had ordered staff to stand guard outside the family’s room at a hotel resort in Calabasas.

“I don’t believe that any employees of mine were standing guard outside the Country Suites,” he said. “I don’t buy that for a second.”

Mr Geragos began testifying last Friday but was granted a one-week delay because of his obligations to other cases.

Jackson, 46, denies molesting the 13-year-old boy, plying him with alcohol and conspiring to hold him and his family captive. The trial continues. breakingnews